Is buying AK ticket ‘risky’ if can’t get FOP?

[JJsmama]

We are going to be there early March. 2 nights will be late hours at MK and EP. i was thinking of trying to stroll into AK mid morning the day in between. (We can’t do midnight parks and EE the next day.) But with the reports that even paid ILL for FOP are hard to get, it seems risky to spend that $$ for the three of us vs just having a resort day. FOP is my favorite ride ever, but I dont want to pay hundreds to stand in line for hours for one ride then do Safari. (Pretty sure EE will still be closed, which means more lines for everything else.) Opinions? i assume there is no way to refund a ticket for three of us if i can’t buy FOP at 7am and never enter park?

(Honestly, this would be the same dilemma we would have at DHS, right? If not there at opening, massive lines and LL gone? )

 

[thanxfornoticin]

If you are a resort guest and get online right at 7AM to buy ILL for FOP, it seems very likely you'll get a slot that day. But if you buy a park ticket and don't use it, they won't refund it.

 

[JJsmama]

If I get on at 7, how do I get a late in the day ILL time? (Which normally would be what i would NOT want )

 

[Wood Nymph]

If I get on at 7, how do I get a late in the day ILL time? (Which normally would be what i would NOT want )

We were there two weeks ago. I tried for a ILL$ at 7am and the options were later in the afternoon and evening. It is really hard to get a morning time slot. I decided to get an ILL$ for after dinner and that worked out great.

The problem with the whole thing is that 7am is the same time for lots of things, including breakfast mobile orders, so the website gets very busy and you can't always get through right away.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

If I get on at 7, how do I get a late in the day ILL time? (Which normally would be what i would NOT want )

Keep in mind, Genie+/LL reservations are like the original fast pass paper system - you get the next available time slot. The ILL$ purchase is like the old FP+ system, where you'll be given a chance to select a time slot from a list of available times.

Sorry if you already know this, but Genie+ and ILL$ are separate. You don't need to purchase Genie+ if you're only looking to make an ILL$ purchase.

 

[Brett Wyman]

People have been going to AK for years without the hope of getting on FOP

 

[MainMom]

Keep in mind, Genie+/LL reservations are like the original fast pass paper system - you get the next available time slot. The ILL$ purchase is like the old FP+ system, where you'll be given a chance to select a time slot from a list of available times.

Sorry if you already know this, but Genie+ and ILL$ are separate. You don't need to purchase Genie+ if you're only looking to make an ILL$ purchase.

You can select your time, but rarely is that the time that you end up with.

 

[JJsmama]

Keep in mind, Genie+/LL reservations are like the original fast pass paper system - you get the next available time slot. The ILL$ purchase is like the old FP+ system, where you'll be given a chance to select a time slot from a list of available times.

Sorry if you already know this, but Genie+ and ILL$ are separate. You don't need to purchase Genie+ if you're only looking to make an ILL$ purchase.

thanks. I did not know those distinctions.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

You can select your time, but rarely is that the time that you end up with.

Agreed, if you need an exact time. The OP mentioned a time 'later in the day', and it's likely there will be options for that.

 

[JJsmama]

People have been going to AK for years without the hope of getting on FOP

HAHA. But I don't want to be one of them! Especially not with Everest closed and my other favorite, Flights of Wonder gone too... Maybe I just answered my own question. But I do love gorillas and elephants. It's a conundrum.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I would try to get the best time you can with ILL at 7am and then if you cant use it visit one of the Guest Experience kiosks for a refund. Hopefully its on a day you can switch your park pass if you decide to skip AK.

 

[Anna131517]

You can always get in line right before park close if you aren’t able to get ILL. The lines tend to be shorter then and anyone who is already in line will be able to ride.

 

[PinkPixel]

Keep in mind, Genie+/LL reservations are like the original fast pass paper system - you get the next available time slot. The ILL$ purchase is like the old FP+ system, where you'll be given a chance to select a time slot from a list of available times.

Sorry if you already know this, but Genie+ and ILL$ are separate. You don't need to purchase Genie+ if you're only looking to make an ILL$ purchase.

Do you have any idea how long you have to make a selection from the options it shows you in ILL$? Or is it like the old ROTR boarding groups where you had to click through each button without time to think?

 

[CarolynFH]

Do you have any idea how long you have to make a selection from the options it shows you in ILL$? Or is it like the old ROTR boarding groups where you had to click through each button without time to think?

When we bought our ILL$ for FoP and Remy, I had plenty of time to think. It wasn't anything like the RotR urgency!

 

[Orsino]

You could buy a two day ticket and extend it to three on day two if you enter AK, just be sure to visit Guest Relations before the end of the day. The reservation system makes this a bit risky, but for a Wednesday in March, I think you would be able to get a MK reservation last minute. At least, I haven't heard of MK booking up but you should check on that first.

 

[JJsmama]

You could buy a two day ticket and extend it to three on day two if you enter AK, just be sure to visit Guest Relations before the end of the day. The reservation system makes this a bit risky, but for a Wednesday in March, I think you would be able to get a MK reservation last minute. At least, I haven't heard of MK booking up but you should check on that first.

Good idea! I’m sure it is easier to add more days. The only worrisome thing is that the third day would be an MK evening extended hours night. I’ll have to watch to see if the parks are filling on those days?

 

[g-dad66]

HAHA. But I don't want to be one of them! Especially not with Everest closed and my other favorite, Flights of Wonder gone too... Maybe I just answered my own question. But I do love gorillas and elephants. It's a conundrum.

Flights of Wonder is now Feathered Friends in Flight. We saw it in November, and I thought this version was much better than a couple of the previous versions (especially the Up version). It was a good show.

 

[Brian Noble]

2 nights will be late hours at MK and EP. i was thinking of trying to stroll into AK mid morning the day in between.

What about going to AK for the last several hours, so showing up early to mid afternoon? You can enter the line at park close and have a reasonable wait, if only because the Paid LL folks will already have ridden. That's our plan for days after the late nights the week after yours.

But they definitely will not refund the ticket.

 

[Kirsti]

The only worrisome thing is that the third day would be an MK evening extended hours night. I’ll have to watch to see if the parks are filling on those days?

Since the Extended Evening Hours are only available to those staying in Deluxe Resorts, I don't think it should have a huge impact on park capacity...

 

[MonaMN]

Good idea! I’m sure it is easier to add more days. The only worrisome thing is that the third day would be an MK evening extended hours night. I’ll have to watch to see if the parks are filling on those days?

There's another post here about March 14 being unavailable for MK. Given everything I'm seeing about crowds, I'd be a little careful with trying to make last minute adjustments.